


Don't Ever Be Afraid to Fly

by mggislife2789



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Karaoke, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-19 02:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17592857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mggislife2789/pseuds/mggislife2789
Summary: In his travel’s to Boston to visit his girlfriend before his Bureau retirement, Spencer comes across an old friend.Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters or their original stories. This is only for fun. It's where my brain goes after the credits roll. No copyright intended. Better safe than sorry. ;)





	Don't Ever Be Afraid to Fly

Traveling to and from Boston to visit the woman he loved wasn’t ideal, but he promised Emily another two years with the BAU so that together they could find someone to fill his 187-IQ shoes. Though Emily insisted no one would ever fill the converse of Dr. Spencer Reid. It was time for him to leave and no matter how scary the thought - it was necessary.

With a year and a half left to go, he traveled here as much as he could to see her, but tonight, he’d gotten into the airport a bit early and found himself wandering her neighborhood and into a bar that was having a karaoke night. They’d been here together before, however reluctant he was to come in at first, but after a while he saw the beauty in people letting go for a night out. However, he did not want a repeat of karaoke night with the team. Hotch had them on camera for all eternity.

After sending a quick message to her let her know where he was, Spencer ordered himself a stout and sat back in the corner, watching as one person after another stepped up to the mic. 

Nearly half an hour passed among the hustle and bustle of dinner time, people walking in and out for a quick drink with friends before heading off to wherever they were staying for the night. As he tipped the last of his beer into his mouth, he eyed someone taking her place at the mic and when she brushed her hair away from her eyes, he recognized her - Alex Blake.

They’d kept in touch whenever possible and he had seen her once or twice shortly after she’d left to teach here, but with the BAU as it was they weren’t able to visit often, and when he’d gone to prison, the last thing he wanted was to burden her with that knowledge. Following her line of sight, he came to rest upon a group of men and women, presumably fellow professors from the university. 

She tapped the mic and caused a little feedback, but then she smiled and leaned into it to speak. “Tonight, I’ll be singing a song called Beautiful Boy. I want to dedicate to my son, Ethan; he’s no longer with us, and to the man that did grow up to be all I hoped my son to be, a former colleague of mine, Spencer Reid.”

His mouth dropped open in shock. He was tucked back in the corner of the bar, so there was no possibility that she’d seen him and knew he was here. At first he sat in shock; he hadn’t realized she could sing. She had a very pretty voice. His eyes began to brim with tears, imaging her son playing with his toys as a little boy. In her time on the team, she’d shown emotion on occasion, letting him in more than anyone else. That her son had never been allowed to grow up was a tragedy. 

You got all you can carry  
And still feel somehow empty  
Don’t ever be afraid to fly

A tear fell down the side of his nose and he wiped it away just as his girlfriend entered the bar and strode across the floors to his table. “Hey, honey. You okay?”

“Yea, it’s just…that woman singing. That’s Alex Blake. I haven’t seen her in forever. Not since…”

“Not since prison,” she replied with a somber smile. 

She sat by his side and slipped her fingers between his, leaning her head on his shoulder until the song concluded to a thunderous round of applause. “You should go so hi,” she whispered.

“She’s out with friends.”

“Spencer, you haven’t seen each other in years. From what you’ve said about her, I think she’d probably love to see you. I’ll wait here and we can grab dinner after. Maybe see if she wants to grab dinner while you’re visiting? Then I can meet your BAU mama.”

With a smile, he kissed her forehead and snaked his way through the crowd, approaching Alex from behind. He tapped her on the shoulder. “Excuse me?”

She spun around and her eyes lit up. “Spencer!” As she drew the attention of her new colleagues, she explained who he was. “Spencer, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here visiting my girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? We have so much catching up to do. How long are you going to be here?”

“Four days. Can you grab lunch tomorrow?”

“Yes absolutely,” she replied, clasping her hands in front of her face. “Same phone number?”

Nodding, he stepped in for another hug and wrapped his arms around her tight. He’d missed her - more than he thought. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

Releasing her, he smiled and tried to find his girlfriend, seeing her waiting at the door. 

“See you tomorrow?” She asked.

“Definitely. And Alex?”

“Yea?”

“Thank you for the song.”


End file.
